Ablative resurfacing of skin with lasers can be an effective treatment for skin conditions such as wrinkles. However, ablative resurfacing can have undesirable post-treatment side effects. For example, crusting, oozing, erythema can last up to 5 weeks. Furthermore, permanent scarring is a possible long-term side effect of ablative resurfacing. Such side effects can be a deterrent to individuals who otherwise desire treatment.
Improved treatments with reduced side effects include forming sub-surface thermal damage of skin, while leaving the top layer intact by combining heating and surface cooling. However, the results of sub-surface methods can be less dramatic than those achieved by ablative resurfacing. Other improvements include fractional resurfacing techniques, that treat skin in discrete spots and leave the skin between the spots untreated.
Fractional resurfacing technologies can have advantages including lower incidences of side-effects and expedited healing. These advantages can result from the undamaged regions providing blood and nutrients to the adjacent damaged regions and accelerating the healing process. Ablative resurfacing and technologies that include inducing uniform damage corresponding to coverage of an entire region can include higher efficacy at the cost of increased side effects.